"I love the Little Italy section of Baltimore, and I never need an excuse to eat pasta. I always hope I have a chance to have a great meal when I am there!" - Tony Bennett

"Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." - Sophia Loren

As an added bonus, after dinner we will walk through Little Italy and head to Piedigrotta Bakery, that is run by Carminantonio Iannaccone, with his charming wife Bruna. Carminantonio started baking at age 9, and he is the inventor of the Tiramisu, that has now become the highest-selling dessert in the entire world:

I will stop there for coffee before the walk if anyone wants to join me. That is also where I park the car, on Central Avenue or in the residential area, as I do not use the pay lots.

Below are photos of a Navy submarine and a Coast Guard cutter from our last walk in Inner Harbor that took place this past winter:

The other photos you see on this page are all from our last winter walk in Inner Harbor with the dinner in Little Italy following our stroll.

Please post a profile photo just like Tony and Sophia did. We all like to know who you are and welcome you.

This will be a 4 mile walk on level pavement through Little Italy as well as the waterfront of Inner Harbor, with a final return for an early meal at Dalesio's in Little Italy in our private room. The food in the restaurant is delicious, the atmosphere is casual, and the prices are reasonable. If you park two blocks behind St. Leo's church in the warehouse district or residential area and the back streets, there is free street parking therein. The pay parking lot is one block behind the church, and there are several pay lots in other adjoining areas, but I recommend using the free parking spots and walking a bit. Don't use the timed meters, as you do not know how long you will be there. The rear of the church faces East, for referential purposes.

In Little Italy, we will walk by the homes and restaurants that give the area such a special ambiance. This should be an educational as well as an entertaining passeggiata, which, in the old country, is a daily ritual that has been developed into an art form. We may see who is winning at bocce balls, then we will pass the statue honoring Christopher Columbus, as well as go by various battleships and coast guard vessels. We’ll go by the outdoor museum exhibits or art works that are on display at the time. We'll stroll by the Torsk submarine that was once in the employ of No Such Agency, and also walk by the good old Constellation, as well as a pirate ship.

We will view the vessels floating along the waterfront, whose occupants spend their time watching us watching them. Note that what is outside will be contingent on the weather, as all outdoor events are. After passing the Baltimore Visitor’s Center, we will go to the promenade by the Maryland Science Center, and then turn back.

The sidewalk and gangplank that moves with the tide is always a unique experience. After our walk, we will then heed the call of the pasta. After our dinner at Dalesio's, for those of us who still have room for more, we'll walk through Little Italy and head to Piedigrotta Bakery & Pastry Shop that was voted "Best of Baltimore" and is run by Carminantonio and Bruna Iannaccone for some cannoli, gelato, torta, complemented with an espresso or a cappuccino, and where we can make quattro chiacchere. The cost of this event consists solely in the food and beverage one decides to purchase after the walk, as well as any parking fees incurred. The event will be canceled if there is inclement or dangerous weather, and, if such is the case, all attendees will be notified the day before the event no later than 9 PM if there are any changes in our plans.

In your RSVP, please let me know for sure of your attendance for dinner after the walk so that I can let the restaurant know how many to expect. Answer the question pertaining to the dinner that will appear automatically; if you do not do that, I can't add you to the RSVP list. We are expecting to have an early dinner at 2:00 PM, but that is an approximate time, as it depends on how many places we stop along our walk, as there is so much to see. We can then go for dessert at 4:00 PM. At the dinner, you can let me know if you can make it to dessert as well. If you park at a distance, we can walk with you to your car after the activity, so don't worry about walking there at night.

We will meet at 11:00 AM (and not later) in front of Saint Leo’s Catholic Church in Little Italy at 227 South Exeter Street (on the corner of Stiles Street). This event is appropriate for all ages, and guests are allowed. And, on this activity, while kids are welcome, pets are not. Remember that 11:00 AM is the designated meeting time, so please be on time.

The sunset should take place at around 7:55 PM on this date. After our dinner, fro those who still want to stroll, the harbor lights should be on, providing us with a visual treat as the lights shimmer upon the water.

The restaurant can accommodate our large group. Please note that we should be able to get individual receipts as well, so bring cash to make it all easier.

A former member

Great walk on a beautiful day to be outside! Bob did a wonderful job of not only organizing the event but keeping us all corralled so we stayed together on the walk. It was a lot of fun with a great group of people. Dinner was good, but the bakery was excellent!

A former member

The day was sunny, in the mid 70s, with no humidity, so it was perfect for an urban walk. There was a breeze from the open water, so that made it even more comfortable. We walked about 4 miles, in Little Italy as well as in the Inner Harbor, and took in all the sights on the waterfront. Since we felt up to it, we walked from one end of Inner Harbor all the way to the other, and then back again, all along the waterfront. After our urban hike, we had a delicious early dinner at Dalesio's in our very own private dining room. And after that, we journeyed to the famous Piedigrotta where we had dessert and got a private tour of the bakery by master chef Carminantonio, the inventor of the Tiramisu (of course, after obtaining permission from his lifelong partner, Bruna). It was a fantastic day outside (and inside) with a first-rate group of individuals. It does not get much better than this!

A former member

A former member

Yes, it certainly was a fine day to spend in Baltimore! If it is the photo with me, Sarabeth, Bruna, and Carminantonio, I was able to download it, but if you have a higher resolution one please send it to me at [masked]

This was my first meetup with this group and I am so impressed by the warm welcome, friendly people and fabulous day. Bob did an amazing job of coordinating this event. It exceeded my expectations. I will join in again.

A former member

A former member

Bob - I got an email with your comment about the waitlist, but it's not showing up on the meetup page. Anyway, yes, I am now a "yes" with 2 guests, as I was moved from the waitlist. I followed your prior instructions. My experience with meetup is that many people RSVP but then drop out when it's time either to show up or pay for the event (I was refunded for an event yesterday that was cancelled for these reasons). So I'm saying I'm committed to being there. If you want me to move back to the waitlist, we can discuss it - send me a private email.

A former member

Right now you and two guests are listed as going on the walk as well as going to the dinner. I agree that last minute cancellations and no shows are a huge problem. Thus, any no shows (including cancellations after 9 PM on the prior day) for this event will allow those members to be promoted to a new status with the nomenclature of non-members.

A former member

A former member

Folks - We have 25 signed up, and all 25 have said they want to have the dinner at Dalesio's. That is fantastic. Now, remember that the owner will be getting us a private dining room and ensuring that there is enough staff for us, and, yes, having plenty of good food there. So, PLEASE, do not be a no-show or cancel the night before. I know that things come up, but I am asking that you make a sincere soul-searching effort to ascertain if you will definitely be there and make your RSVP accordingly. Thank you.

Julie organized this group to start getting out and meeting active, fun people who want to stay young and adventurous. And look where we are now!! We are an active group (of "Over 40" individuals) that loves being in the great outdoors whether it is hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, biking, horseback riding, camping, whatever-without being extreme about any one type of activity. We can also just sip a nice glass of vino and watch the sunset. This group is also about exploring venues of any other nature, whether it is an outdoor event, concert, museum, historical area, winery event, bowling-pretty much anything someone's interested in. So this is a mix of outdoor activities and social events-no dinner and movies for us on a regular basis. We have a terrific leadership team that always has great activities being planned, so check out our calendar. We also want to hear from the members about fun venues you have been to or would like to try. This is about getting out, making friends and having new experiences-maybe checking some of those items off your Bucket List-but most of all it's about having FUN!!! We laugh more than any group I've ever encountered. This group is open to all...single, married, divorced, separated, new to the area...as long as you want to be active, upbeat and young-minded and refuse to take turning 40, 50, or even 60 to 100 as bad news. So if you want to have fun with a truly great group of people, join us and start kickin it up!!!

Please be advised that we have one main requirement for membership. You must post a recognizable head shot for your main profile picture to participate. We need to be able to pick you out of a crowd from your picture on an RSVP list, which are small. No sunglasses or distance pictures and no additional friends or pets. It should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway, that unless you are very furry and actually walk on four legs, an animal picture won't work. Also, unless you're Mother Nature, a scenic view won't suffice.

We appreciate a minimum level of manners and responsibility. No-shows are the bane of an organizer's existence-imagine trying to set up events without knowing whether 5 or 50 are going to show up. Please be advised that we will remove you if you are a habitual No-show offender.

We do not need you to RSVP "No" to events you don't plan to attend. We assume you aren't attending unless you tell us that you are. But if you say you are coming, please either show up or change your RSVP to reflect that your plans have changed and you won't be joining us. That is just basic common courtesy.

Also, we are a fun group and appreciate an upbeat attitude. Considering the number of activities and participants, we have virtually no major issues with any of our events. Occassionally things don't go exactly as planned, but we still always have a great time, and everything works out. Remember that the organizers are VOLUNTEERS and work very hard to plan and carry out activities for huge numbers of people. So if you can be of help in any way, please step up and volunteer-even in small ways.

We look forward to meeting you and hope you have a lot of fun with our group.